The Role Of Notch In Drosophila Nociceptor Function And Morphology
- ASU Author/Contributor (non-ASU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Lee Sturgis (Creator)
- Institution
- Appalachian State University (ASU )
- Web Site: https://library.appstate.edu/
- Advisor
- Andrew Bellemer
Abstract: Chronic pain affects approximately 1 in 5 American adults, and costs around $600 billion annually. Available therapeutics do not sufficiently treat chronic pain, indicating that treatment methods must continue to expand. To develop new treatments, novel treatment targets must be identified. The mechanisms involved in the sensory neurobiology of chronic pain are not fully understood. This study utilizes the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, as a model to investigate the mechanisms of pain sensation. Here, the role of the Notch signaling pathway in pain-sensing neuron function and structure is established. It was found that the Notch gene, which encodes the Notch receptor protein, is required for appropriate behavioral responses to noxious mechanical stimuli, but not noxious thermal stimuli or in sensory neuron hypersensitization. Morphological requirements for Notch in dendritic branching of pain-sensing neurons were also found, as neurons with defective Notch mRNA have fewer branches, notably higher order branches, than their control counterparts. The morphological phenotype associated with defective Notch mRNA is like one found in neurons with a mutation in the Trio gene, which encodes the multi-functional Trio protein. Similarity of these phenotypes supports the developing hypothesis that a novel mechanism involving the Notch and Trio proteins mediates dendrite branching.
The Role Of Notch In Drosophila Nociceptor Function And Morphology
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Created on 3/20/2023
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Thesis
- Sturgis, L. (2022). The Role Of Notch In Drosophila Nociceptor Function And Morphology. Unpublished Master’s Thesis. Appalachian State University, Boone, NC.
- Language: English
- Date: 2022
- Keywords
- Notch, Drosophila, Nociception, Morphology, Behavior